Backstairs at the White House: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

This nine-hour miniseries views the lives of eight Presidents through the eyes of their staff. The story is based on a book by Lillian Rogers Parks and Frances Spatz Leighton. The star-studded production covers the administrations of William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.

Series details

• Title: Backstairs at the White House
• Format: Scripted
• Language: English
• Genres: Drama, History
• Premiere date: 1979-01-29
• Final broadcast date listed: 1979-02-19
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: NBC
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 135 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 50717
• IMDb ID: tt0078565
• TVDB ID: 249646

Cast and credited roles

• Olivia Cole — Maggie Rogers
• Leslie Uggams — Lillian Rogers Parks
• Louis Gossett, Jr. — Houseman Levi Mercer
• Robert Hooks — Doorman & Presidential Barber Mays
• Bill Overton — Doorman Jackson
• David Downing — Butler Dixon
• Leslie Nielsen — Chief Usher Ike Hoover
• Hari Rhodes — Butler Coates
• Helena Carroll — First Maid Annie Gilhooley
• Cloris Leachman — Mrs. Elizabeth Jaffray
• James A. Watson, Jr. — Houseman Fraser
• Richard Roat — Chief Usher Howell Crim

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 1979-01-29; final listed air date 1979-02-19; episode order: 4.

Source and licence

Adapted from Backstairs at the White House on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.